Edler-iffic!

With Alexander Edler channeling Scott Stevens, it goes to show the best player on the ice does not have to collect points or make saves to have an impact on the game. If you wondered where those hits were all season long, I have a theory: Edler is smart.

Why waste energy hitting guys in 82 meaningless regular season games? Save all that energy up and release it when needed--in the playoffs.

Overall, a great effort even if Roberto Luongo looked like a fish out of water on the Anze Kopitar half-chance, he more than made up for it with his Hasek impersonation on the Jack Johnson shot earns him big Luuuuuu's!

Thank you, Mikael Samuelsson for scoring in the 1st overtime as I was having '07 5-OT vs. Dallas Stars flashbacks the way Jonathan Quick was playing the the Kings' net.

As far as the rest of the Game 1s, not a very good start to the NHL playoffs. The only watchable hockey was the Habs upset of the Caps and the Yotes-Wings game. The rest were comical (Ottawa-Pittsburgh and the bouncing pucks), farcical as well as boring (Philly get 12 shots on goal and beats New Jersey), too chippy after the whistles (Buffalo vs. Boston), a snoozefest (does San Jose realize the playoffs started?) and funny (the Harlem Globetrotters apparently showed up for Game 1 in Chicago. Needless to say the Washington Generals lost yet again).